Christmas tree ornaments – part of the joy of Christmas
The use of Christmas tree ornaments and of Christmas decorations in general is part of a tradition of decorating our homes for the winter season, which dates back thousands of years.
The ancient Romans, for example, decorated their homes during festive occasions with evergreen boughs and decorations and garlands made form evergreen trees. The Druids used evergreen decorations to protect the tree spirits during the cold and harsh winter months.
Mistletoe and holly, which are often used as Christmas tree ornaments today were treasured, with holly symbolizing good health and a renewal of life.
Starting in Victorian times
A variety of Christmas tree ornaments and other Christmas decorations as well as Christmas merchandise in general began to appear on a large scale in Victorian days. The first Christmas tree lights were candles and the first Christmas tree ornaments were home made, or hand crafted, with manufactured ornaments generally not appearing until the late 1800’s.
Although real Candles would be delightful as Christmas tree ornaments, they would be an extreme fire hazard and should definitely not be used. Similarly, any ornaments made from material that can burn should be kept away from the Christmas tree lights, which can become quite hot, particularly the older light sets.
Family collections
For many of us, bringing out the family’s collection of Christmas tree ornaments, from their resting place in the basement or the attic, for most of the year, is time-honored and happy ritual that we look forward to from Thanksgiving onwards. We often add to our collection of tree ornaments by making or buying a few new ones each year to improve our prized and treasured collection.
Today, the design of Christmas tree ornaments ranges from simple traditional balls of glass, which are now often plastic, to what one writer has described as “complex works of art” in various shapes including detailed figurines such as Christmas angels.